Arizona Republic Editor Nicole Carroll Named Editor in Chief of USA Today

Gannett looked internally for its new newsroom leader at USA Today, naming Nicole Carroll the new editor in chief. Carroll joins the publication from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com where she has been vp of news and executive editor since 2015. Carroll, the 2017 Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year Award-winner, takes over for Joanne Lipman who left USA Today late last year. Lipman, who had a short tenure as editor, also held the title of chief content officer. "I’m humbled to follow in the footsteps of some of the most respected and talented journalists in the business,” Carroll said in a statement. “I am incredibly proud of the team at the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com and am grateful for my time there. I look forward to continuing the work we accomplished together in holding the powerful accountable, informing and empowering our communities, and innovating new approaches to storytelling and investigative journalism.” [kickout id="1"] Last year, Carroll and her team produced an explanatory reporting project called "The Wall," which examined President Trump’s signature campaign promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The project allowed readers to explore the entire border through documentaries, podcasts, exclusive investigative reporting, virtual reality, and aerial and 360-degree video. “Nicole embodies the values, journalistic excellence, integrity and fierce competitive spirit USA Today needs to further its position as a trusted national news leader,” said Maribel Perez Wadsworth, president, USA Today Network and associate publisher of USA Today. “She has led award-winning, groundbreaking work that pushed the boundaries of digital storytelling and, importantly, delivered impact and changed lives. We are proud of Nicole and look forward to seeing her energy and passion make its imprint on USA Today." In 2016, The Arizona Republic did something it had never done in its 126-year history. It endorsed a democrat, Hillary Clinton, over a republican, Trump, in a presidential race. Founded in 1982, USA Today currently has a daily paid circulation of 813,000 and a daily readership of 3.3 million. After graduating from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1991, Carroll held reporting and editing jobs at the El Paso Times, USA Today and the East Valley Tribune. She received her master’s degree from Georgetown in 1996 and joined the Republic in 1999 as city editor.